Can CAB files be extracted from .EXE installation files?
When installing most .EXE programs, there is a short installation sequence on the PC followed by "Please check your PDA for additional steps". The axim then displays the security warning stating that an unknown .CAB program would like to be installed. This leads me to believe that the CAB program is embedded in the .EXE, and one of the purposes of the installer is to extract it and send it to the axim via the cradle. If so, is there a program/method so I can extract the CAB file myself and save it off?
I ask this because I go on long (multi-month) trips where I will not have access to my personal computer and cannot carry a laptop. If I run into a situation where I have to hard reset my X51V, I will have to reinstall all the apps. If all my apps are on a spare SD card in .CAB format, I can reinstall from the card. Unfortunately many installers appear to come in .EXE only, which have to be installed a PC first.
Some of the EXE files are infact selfextracting files. These you can open with WINRAR and extract the CAB file . Often you have to locate the CAB file for the processor platform of your PDA (for an AXIM it is ARM), because the EXE file contents CAB files for a number of processor platforms.
Another way of doing it, is to run the installation without having the PDA connected. Then the CAB file can be found in the "Microsoft Activesync" folder, normaly in a subfolder with a name like the application name.
When installing most .EXE programs, there is a short installation sequence on the PC followed by "Please check your PDA for additional steps". The axim then displays the security warning stating that an unknown .CAB program would like to be installed. This leads me to believe that the CAB program is embedded in the .EXE, and one of the purposes of the installer is to extract it and send it to the axim via the cradle. If so, is there a program/method so I can extract the CAB file myself and save it off?
I ask this because I go on long (multi-month) trips where I will not have access to my personal computer and cannot carry a laptop. If I run into a situation where I have to hard reset my X51V, I will have to reinstall all the apps. If all my apps are on a spare SD card in .CAB format, I can reinstall from the card. Unfortunately many installers appear to come in .EXE only, which have to be installed a PC first.
Why not get an SD or CF card and something like SPB Backup that will backup EVERYTHING to a card. THen you can restore the whole machine from the card?
There are programs also that will automatically extract cab files.
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When installing most .EXE programs, there is a short installation sequence on the PC followed by "Please check your PDA for additional steps". The axim then displays the security warning stating that an unknown .CAB program would like to be installed. This leads me to believe that the CAB program is embedded in the .EXE, and one of the purposes of the installer is to extract it and send it to the axim via the cradle. If so, is there a program/method so I can extract the CAB file myself and save it off?
I ask this because I go on long (multi-month) trips where I will not have access to my personal computer and cannot carry a laptop. If I run into a situation where I have to hard reset my X51V, I will have to reinstall all the apps. If all my apps are on a spare SD card in .CAB format, I can reinstall from the card. Unfortunately many installers appear to come in .EXE only, which have to be installed a PC first.
Implement a reliable backup/restore process instead.
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Can CAB files be extracted from .EXE installation files?
